These Are New Times
by jovigirlx12x
Summary: What should happen in Hollywood Heights in a second season...starting after 180. Leddie and the rest of them, too!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I AM still going to continue "Down To Earth", in case you were wondering. Let me know what you think of this, though. I thought maybe a second fan fic about what should happen in a season two might be fun.**

**This is supposed to take place at the end of episode 180...**

"Oh my God!" That was all Loren Tate had to say to Eddie Duran, who was standing right in front of her. He wasn't in jail, he wasn't at fault for Chloe's fall. No, he was free, and standing right there in his apartment's door.

Eddie smiled sheepishly and gave Loren his cutest look he could produce. "Nice place you have here," he said in a reply.

Loren hugged Eddie with all her might; she was so happy he was safe and free and they could finally be happy together. She didn't care that she was crying; she just wanted to stay in that hug forever. Eddie felt the same, and made that clear; he wasn't afraid to be holding back his own tears. He wouldn't cry, no, but he wouldn't let Loren go until they absolutely had to.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Loren whispered. She felt Eddie's strong hands grab at her back and dig into her hair; he was as happy as she was.

"Of course I am," Eddie said back. "I told you I didn't do it."

"I never doubted you!" Loren said, this time letting herself cry. It felt so good to have Eddie back. "I thought you were dead," she sobbed into his shoulder. "Eddie, what happened all that time?"

"We'll talk about it on the plane, babe," Eddie told her. "Right now, I just want to hold you."

That did it; Loren pulled out of their hug, but only so she could give Eddie the most passionate kiss of their relationship. Their lips touched and nothing else mattered; Eddie gave her every bit of energy he had. Loren loved the warmth of his touch and the smell of him she had missed so much.

Finally, Eddie pulled away and let out a short laugh. He wanted to stay there with Loren as much as she did, but she had a plane to catch and Eddie wouldn't let her miss it. In a few hours, his girl would be up on stage doing her thing, and for once, he would be the guy in the group of fans by the stage.

Eddie's eyes looked right into Loren's deep brown eyes; they were so beautiful, just as she was, and all at once, the memories from the day before came flooding back to him. He thought Loren wasn't coming to the hill; he was certain she had left him or she didn't get his note. But there she was, standing in front of his headlights as soon as he was about to give up and drive back to the apartment.

That moment was the best thing that Eddie had ever experienced. He knew he missed Loren so much, but he didn't realize how bad the pain was of not having her until he finally got to touch her again. Those slow seconds that he ran to Loren killed him, but when he finally got to wrap his arms around her again, everything was perfect. He didn't care that he would go to jail if he was caught; all that mattered was that Loren knew how much he cared. And from the very beginning of that hug, Eddie knew what he had to tell her.

Those same three words were exactly what Eddie needed to say again, now that everything was over with and the drama had ceased. "Loren Tate, I love you," he said, never taking his eyes away from hers.

"Oh, I love you too!" Loren said, diving back in for a hug.

Loren was over that night's concert. All she wanted now was to stay at home with Eddie; it was her home now, too. She had only stayed in Eddie's apartment for the past few days, but it already felt like where she was supposed to be.

"Loren," Eddie laughed, pulling her off of him. He hated the feeling of pushing her away, but he knew what he had to say would make her even happier than before. "You have a plane to catch."

Loren stood, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. "Oh no!" she yelped, looking at her phone for the time. "I'm supposed to be there in fifteen minutes!"

Like that, Eddie grabbed Loren's keys from her hand. "We'll take a cab," he told her, setting them down on his piano.

"Yeah, a cab... Wait, _we'll_?" Loren asked, a new grin showing and curving her lips up slightly. She looked straight at Eddie, hoping he would say what she thought he would.

"Yeah, I'm coming with you, babe," Eddie told her.

Loren's eyes lit up as soon as he told her he was coming. They both knew Eddie needed to wait for his music until his name was officially cleared to the public and people began liking him again. Once they knew he didn't push Chloe, his fans would come back and he would start up his music career again, but until then, he had all the time in the world to spend with Loren and help her with her career.

And like that, Loren and Eddie found themselves back to their normal lives; they were boarding the plane, ten minutes late, and headed for New York. For Loren, this lifestyle was still a little bit different, but she was getting used to it, and fast. For Eddie, though, traveling and dealing with fame was what he knew his whole life, so jumping back into it so quickly was perfectly fine for him.

As the plane took off, Eddie pulled back Loren's hair and gave her his famous smile. She knew then that everything would be alright; her world was back...Eddie was back. Eddie took Loren's hand in his for everyone to see; his dad and Nora smiled from their seats, and Kelly and Jake were laughing it up from theirs.

"These are new times," Eddie told Loren.

Eddie's words were meant for not only her, but everyone in the plane cab; this was a new beginning for Loren and Eddie, Jake and Kelly, and Nora and Max. Loren knew that this was true even for her friends, who weren't present on the plane; Melissa and Adam were about to start their own fun journey as soon as graduation hit them.

Everything was sealed and official once Eddie leaned in and kissed Loren. He let his hand rest on her cheek, making Loren blush. She loved being able to touch him again; she loved him being able to touch her again. Everything was perfect, or so she thought.

"Eddie?" an unfamiliar voice asked, breaking up Loren and Eddie's kiss. From the back of the cab came a blond girl, followed by a dirty blond man. Both were dressed in valley clothes; Loren knew this from how her older neighbors dressed; sometimes, it seemed like she and her mother were the "upper class" of the valley homes.

Eddie turned immediately after seeing the confused look on Loren's face. He thought he knew the voice, but he wasn't sure until he saw her for himself.

A lump formed in Eddie's throat. How would he explain this one to Loren? "Lia?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. For those of you reading "Down To Earth", please remember that that is my **_**fun**_** Fan Fic, and this is the more realistic one!**

**I am actually pretty proud of this Fan Fic...I feel like I might be sticking to the characters pretty well so far...unlike the other one. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU AGREE!**

"Lia?" Eddie couldn't believe the two of them were standing in front of he and Loren. How did they get on the plane? How would he explain who the two were to Loren? "I guess you gave my note to Jake," he presumed.

Eddie gave Lia a hand written note before she let him leave her company. He knew it was the only way to get her to let him leave, especially since he knew the way she liked him. The kiss burned in his mind; if Loren knew, she would hate him. If he didn't tell her, she would hate him more.

"Yeah, of course," Lia said, shaking her head slightly and smiling like she always did. She tried her best to shake off her feelings for Eddie; she knew she was falling for him, but she had to let that go now. They would be traveling together, and Eddie was back with Loren and out of trouble again.

The plane cab was silent; Eddie stared down Lia. He didn't care to talk to her brother; it was her that he had a problem with. Even though the two had helped Eddie out in his time of need, he thought Lia and her crush on him were long gone and in the past. Now, they were standing right in front of him again; it was like he never left.

Jeremy, sensing the tension in the air, stepped up and put his two cents in. Glancing at Jake and then back at Eddie, he said, "Jake listened to some of our stuff and liked it. He said he might sign us, but we're going to watch your lifestyle first to make sure it's what we want."

Before anyone could say anything else, Jake butted in. "_Might_," he said with more enthusiasm. "I have to see how they react first." Jake obviously wasn't happy about Eddie's favor, but he was doing his best to abide by what his client was asking him for. He knew the best way to get this out of the way was to bring them along and make them see how stressful and busy Eddie and Loren's day would be. Then, hopefully, Lia and Jeremy would want to stay with their quiet lives back in California.

Eddie and Lia were still caught in the middle of a stare down. Eddie's face was still; it was obvious he wasn't happy to see Lia, but she didn't take it that way. Instead, Lia held her smile and couldn't get enough of Eddie's perfect face. She never even acknowledged Loren; for all she cared, she was just a little bump in the road to being Eddie's new girlfriend.

"Eddie?" Finally, Loren brought up the courage to ask Eddie what everyone was talking about. Without taking her eyes off of Eddie, who still hadn't looked back to her, she brought her hand up to his shoulder. When they touched at last, Eddie turned abruptly back to Loren and blinked as though he were trying to rid himself of the tension that was rippling through his body.

Eddie forced a smile to try to convince Loren that everything was still okay, and that he wasn't trying to keep her out of anything. He had decided he would tell her about the kiss, but not here in front of his father and her mother. Max and Nora obviously knew as little as Loren; Eddie could tell by the confused looks on their faces and how Nora's smiles as she talked to Max suddenly faded when the cab became silent after the sibling's entrance. To tell everyone about what had happened between he and Lia while he was gone now would be a huge mistake; there would be an argument of some type, and at that moment, all Eddie wanted to do was hold Loren and forget about everything he had just gone through while he was missing.

"Lia and Jeremy helped me out while I was hiding from the cops," Eddie told Loren quietly. He knew everyone else was listening in, but he didn't want to make it seem like it was a big deal.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Loren asked, obviously hurt. She looked at Eddie with puppy dog eyes that killed him a little inside. He hated when she looked upset, especially when it was because of him.

Eddie was flustered; he hadn't had time to talk to Loren privately about those few days yet, and as soon as he wanted to, Lia and Jeremy showed up and ruined his whole plan. In reality, all he wanted to do was tell Loren he loved her again while they weren't on a rushed schedule, but instead, Lia had alerted him as soon as they took off that she was in their presence.

Eddie didn't have to think for long, though. As he continued to scramble for words, Lia jumped in and tried to help the situation. "You're Loren, right?" she asked, holding out her hand for Loren to shake. "I'm Lia, and this is Jeremy."

Loren looked a little hesitating, but it would be impolite to ignore her hand shake after her introduction, so she agreed and held out her hand as well. "Hi," she said sweetly, keeping calm about everything. She wouldn't lose her cool until Eddie had a chance to explain; she trusted him, so there really wasn't anything to worry about.

"We um, we helped take care of Eddie while he was hurt," Jeremy added, throwing his little bit of information into the mix.

"Hurt?" Loren asked, still confused.

Eddie knew eventually he would have to explain, so he decided to start then. The simple things were what really happened, and that wouldn't include his kiss with Lia. Eddie wasn't even sure Jeremy knew, so that was another reason why it might be better if he didn't bring it up then too.

Glancing from his father and Loren's mother and back to Loren, Eddie started explaining. "A guy stole my car," he began, sending everyone's memory back to his stop at the gas station that they all already knew about. "A fan asked me for an autograph and went inside to find a pen and a piece of paper, but when he came out he had a long, steel pipe of some sort. I didn't realize what was happening until he hit me over the head with it and drug me behind the gas station. That's where I passed out, and when I woke up, I was in Lia and Jeremy's shed, all bandaged up and beginning to recover."

Everyone in the plane was silent; they hadn't heard the fine details yet. Jake knew what briefly happened through Eddie's note that Lia had presented to him in his office before they left, but he only knew that they had helped him recover; from what, he had always been uncertain.

Loren frowned; she didn't want to think about Eddie being hurt and ordered to bed rest all that time. If she had known, she would have gone to help him herself. At least someone was there to help him, though, and he wasn't left beat up and in the middle of nowhere the whole time.

"Lia drove me to Loren's concert," Eddie continued. "She didn't want to, but I gave her a note and told her to go to Jake. I said he would help them reach their dreams because of what they did for me."

Everyone was quiet, but Eddie could tell by the smile on Loren's face that she was thankful of Lia and Jeremy's actions. The only one to voice their thanks, though, was Max. "Thank you for keeping him safe," he told them, not thinking to mention that he had gone to look for Eddie at that same gas station only days ago.

"It was no problem," Lia told him, smiling her closed-lip smile that she had given Eddie so many times.

"We're just grateful Jake gave us the opportunity to come with you guys and see how being a star is," Jeremy added, not wanting to forget to thank the person who had let them come along.

Jake forced a half smile and nodded; the last thing he wanted was Eddie made at him, so he had to give them some ground to stand on before he sent them home for good.

"I'm just glad you're alright." Loren finally broke the silence that followed Jake's awkward grin of "you're welcome". She leaned against Eddie's arm and held on so he wouldn't slip away again. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, happy that she could finally cuddle with him again and not feel like they were being followed by the cops like they had been on the hill the night before.

Eddie chuckled, agreeing that he was happy he was alright; if he wasn't, he might never get to see Loren again, and that was no acceptable in his book. He brushed Loren's hair behind her ear which made her open her eyes and look up at Eddie. She never moved her head; her cheek rested against his bicep, making his arm more and more warm the longer she stayed there.

"Unfortunately, I think I'm a little hungry," Eddie told Loren, knowing she didn't want to let him go yet. Loren frowned again, but let her grip go and let Eddie stand up. He leaned down, though, and gave Loren a quick but loving kiss before he left. "I love you, Loren Tate," he told her, proud to be able to say that with everyone else around them.

"I love you too," Loren replied. With Eddie's simple words, he was able to turn her frown into the beginnings of a smile that left Loren counting the seconds that went by until Eddie returned to his seat next to her.

Eddie exited the plane cab and walked into the rear room, which was more or less like a pantry with a bathroom along the left wall. Before he could decide what to bring back for him and Loren to share as a drink, though, he felt a hand on his back and someone step up to stand next to him.

"Loren, I'm not going anywhere," Eddie laughed, thinking she might have joined him so he wouldn't disappear on her again. But instead, someone else was there. It wasn't Loren; it was the complete opposite of Loren.

Lia stood next to Eddie in the small room, making the situation uncomfortable. She wanted to fight her feelings for them off, but there was no way she could. She needed to know when Eddie was going to tell Loren about their kiss, or if he was even planning on it at all.

Lia didn't even wait for Eddie to ask her why she was with him; she jumped right to the point. "So, when are you going to tell her?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm having writers block with Down To Earth, so just letting everyone know I'm taking a break from that Fan Fic for ONLY A FEW DAYS so I can get going with it again. :]**

"So when are you going to tell her?" Lia asked, jumping right to the point with Eddie.

Eddie couldn't believe his ears. Had she really just implied that he was supposed to tell Loren about the kiss? To him, it sounded like Lia only wanted to benefit from Eddie telling Loren that she had kissed him. It was almost like she wanted to replace Loren; it was like a Chloe move to try to get Loren out of the picture.

"What, that _you_ kissed _me_?" Eddie retorted. He had had enough; all he wanted was for things to go back to normal, yet here was Lia, taking about something that he never wanted to remember again.

Eddie hated being rude to Lia; she had helped him recover so he could get to Loren again, after all. However, Eddie felt that Lia had overstepped. Jeremy didn't step out of line; he even told Lia that she was being too controlling over Eddie at times. Eddie could swear he had overheard Jeremy telling Lia not to get attached to him, too. If that were true, he would treat Jeremy with all of his respect, but there was no way of knowing for sure. Lia, though, seemed like ever since that kiss, she wouldn't be able to bear it if she had to leave Eddie; it was almost as if she went to Jake once Eddie left her just to make sure she could be around him for a little bit longer.

Lia furrowed her brow; she was frustrated, but she would never be mean to Eddie. She knew as long as Loren was with him, he would insist that he loves her and no one else. "I forgot," Lia replied, blinking sarcastically. "You love Loren."

"You're right," Eddie told her, making sure she felt guilty for her actions. He narrowed his eyes to make sure he looked serious before he continued. "Don't get involved, Lia," Eddie warned. He wanted to stay friends with Lia and Jeremy, but not if Lia only wanted to try to get him to leave Loren for her; things would need to stay on a professional level.

After Eddie responded, he decided he had had enough of the conversation and grabbed two bottles of water before walking back to the main cab. He knew the flight attendant would have gotten him water easily, but he hated making them do every little thing to earn their keep; he was glad to keep them hired to make sure they got their pay for just being polite. Eddie knew Loren would want water; she wasn't a sugar person, and the only other thing she would drink regularly were the shakes from her cafe or hot tea that her mother kept in their kitchen cabinets at home.

Eddie already knew the answer, but he still asked "water okay?" and handed it to Loren once she nodded and thanked him.

Eddie took in the sight before him; Jeremy and Jake were talking about a song they would possibly want to record. He had taken Eddie's seat next to Loren, and Loren had gotten involved in whatever song they were talking about. He had heard her singing lightly before he handed her the water, but he couldn't make out her words.

"What's going on?" was all Eddie could ask with such little knowledge of their conversation due to his short absence.

"We were thinking of recording a version of _One Day At A Time_ since the fans didn't like your sound too much," Jeremy told Eddie without missing a beat. He was happy about it; he didn't even take a minute to think that this might hurt Eddie.

Eddie scanned the room. Jake looked a little afraid, knowing that Eddie wasn't going to agree, and Kelly just looked at the floor, trying her best to stay out of everything. Eddie doubted that Jake agreed to let them record it, so it must have been their own doing. Kelly, on the other hand, most likely brought it up herself; Eddie wouldn't be surprised based on how she treated Loren sometimes. Max and Nora loved the sound of Loren's voice, or so he though, because they were completely engulfed in Loren's smile when she ended her final notes as Eddie came back in. Their expressions didn't move until Jeremy spoke what could be his final words.

Eddie glanced at Loren, who seemed to be a little bothered by Jeremy playing Eddie's song. On the other hand, though, she looked excited, because this would be the first fan of theirs to cover one of their songs for her.

Eddie, however, was hurt for a completely different reason than anyone would have expected. He let his gaze rest on Jeremy, who's smile slowly faded as Eddie held his stare. Eddie did his best to keep his cool, knowing that everyone would be upset if he started an argument there on the plane.

"I think Loren preformed that song perfectly," Eddie said calmly, eventually moving his eyes to Loren's, which lit up when he praised her. He loved making her happy, especially when what he said was the opinion of the world and not just his. Eddie knew the reviews from the fans that surfaced that morning were in agreement; Loren owned the night with that song, and he was so proud of her for making them like something they didn't like when it was originally from him.

"Eddie," Loren said in a thankful tone. She was embarrassed, but thrilled to hear that Eddie loved her version of his song. She had worked on it the entire time she thought Eddie was missing and turned it into something with even more feeling than it originally held.

"No, this isn't even a question," Eddie told her, smiling at her to make sure she knew that he was not angry at anyone, but that he had a plan that he needed to be fulfilled. Eddie turned to Jake and gave him a stare that showed he meant business; he would not have it any other way than what he was thinking. "I want Loren to record my song."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Let me know if you want to be a mod for my Cody Longo fan website. It's launching this weekend!**

"I don't give a damn." The door slammed in Chloe's face; Tyler was done with her, and he meant it.

Chloe, on the other hand, knew she could get Tyler back if she couldn't have Eddie; she would drop the Eddie obsession and move on to Tyler. They were meant for each other, and as much as she hated to admit it, Jackie was right.

"Tyler!" Chloe yelled. She began pounding her fist on his door again, but after a few seconds, she knew it was no use.

Chloe could almost feel Tyler staring through the door at her, waiting for her to leave. She would give in; for now. In her head, though, Chloe was devising a plan greater than any other she had come up with before. If she could convince Tyler that she was over Eddie and that she could make his life truthfully better, she would have a chance.

Before Chloe left, she made sure she left Tyler with some news he wouldn't like to hear. This was the only way, though, that she could prove she had changed her ways. She had helped Eddie and that girl from the valley, Loren. "I dropped the charges on Eddie, Tyler!" Chloe yelled. Then she walked out of the building, grinning to herself. She had won him already; Tyler just didn't know it yet.

* * *

The limo had arrived at the venue in New York soon after the small plane had landed at the airport. The conversation about Eddie's song took a turn into silence, but nothing was said to protest what he wanted. He had written the song, after all, so what he wanted was what had to happen. Lie and Jeremy would just have to find another song.

Loren was ecstatic. She forgot that Eddie was at the concert; all that was in her mind lately was making sure she spent every moment she could with Eddie in case he disappeared on her again. She was amazed to be able to record Eddie's song, but there was one catch, of course; Eddie would play piano. Why would she ever disagree, though?

It was like a dream; the limo's tinted windows blacked out the flashes from the paparazzi awaiting the scheduled performers, but not enough to pretend they weren't there in the first place. The only time Loren got experience with the paparazzi was at MK when she was performing or the one time she got to sit with Eddie on their all night date.

Loren's eyes widened when she peeked through the tinted glass. The backstage entrance was lined with flashing cameras and fans who held out pictures and Sharpie's. "I don't know if I can do this!" She was stuck; what if she tripped and fell, or worse, what if the paparazzi focused on Eddie's jail time?

Eddie took Loren's hand in his; she looked around the back of the limo from face to face. Kelly and Jake looked completely calm; they were used to this kind of situation, which made sense. Nora was giddy with excitement to see her daughter on stage at the festival. Max, on the other hand, was about to give some advice, which was what his son seemed to be getting at as well.

"I'll be right here with you," Eddie told Loren, trying his best to give his quick few words of advice as the door opened and they were asked to exit the vehicle. "It's not that bad." Max didn't have time to get to his words, but Eddie had summed it up enough.

Jake and Kelly stepped out of the limo first so they were able to clear a path for Eddie and Loren to the backstage, off limits to outsiders, area. Then, it was time for Loren. She was nervous, but this was what she would have to get used to.

Carefully, Loren stepped one foot out, and then the other, which helped her propel herself into an upright stand. She took in the scene in front of her all at once; cameras were blinding her, and the fans' screams were blocking out any other noise. She felt suddenly alone; she was not used to this kind of treatment and obsession from others. In a way, however, it made Loren smile; this was what she dreamt of since she was a little girl. It was different in real life, but at the same time, she could see how much of a fairytale she was getting herself into.

Eddie stepped out next, and the crowd didn't know how to respond. He smiled, though, and once he flashed his perfect white teeth, the girls began to scream again, but this time for him instead of Loren. Some were hoping up and down, not expecting Eddie to show up. Loren thought about it some more, and realized no one was told that Eddie would be there; it was a surprise to everyone besides her.

Loren felt drowned out now that Eddie was out in the open; it hurt a little knowing this was her big day and all of her fans were suddenly Eddie's fans, but at the same time, she knew it was silly to be so jealous. Eddie deserved all his fame, especially after he had to go into hiding for the past few days. Now, he would be able to further his music career just as Loren would be.

Thankfully, Eddie stepped up to Loren and made his presence clear to her. He didn't want her to get overwhelmed with all the people around them who were focusing their attention on the two of them. He was glad that he was off the hook with Chloe's accident; he would have hated for Loren to go through her big step into fame on her own. Not only that, but Eddie also would have hated it if he couldn't witness his girl do what she did best her first time on a big stage.

Loren knew everything would work out, though. Eddie grabbed her hand and stepped closer to her; so close, in fact, that his shoulder brushed hers. Loren forgot how much taller than her Eddie was; she looked up at him and felt everything fall into place. She was ready to perform, knowing he was there to see her at work.

Finally, Loren let herself take in the cameras and the questions people were throwing out there as Kelly guided the two towards the backstage entrance. She wanted her client to focus on the performance, not on the fans, and that was obvious. Loren, though, took in everything; this was her first time being the star.

Loren looked back and saw her mother laughing at something Max had just said as they followed their children to the entrance. She loved that their parents were having as much fun as they would be; she wasn't sure she could do this without Nora's support along with Eddie's.

Eddie began to take a few steps toward where Kelly was moving, pulling Loren with him. She braced herself, ready to hear the nonstop questions about Eddie's night in jail and Chloe's accident, but she was taken aback by what she really wound up hearing.

Forgetting Eddie had taken her hand, Loren had only then realized what the current situation was that the paparazzi was eating up. Their questions caught her off guard; it was a good thing neither one of them had to answer as they finally made it to the entrance way.

Every reported wanted the same simple answer, and all were aimed at Eddie, of course. "Are you and Loren official?!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Down To Earth will get an update this weekend, for those of you who are wondering. Also, this won't continue unless I get some feedback, especially from the Tumblr people (FanFiction is usually good about this).**

"Does my girl have time to take a break from being a star for her number one fan?"

Loren heard Eddie's voice after he knocked lightly on her dressing room door. The fact that she had her own dressing room behind the venue was still a huge deal to her; she wasn't used to this kind of stardom yet. Everything was settling in a little better after she took a few minutes to sit alone in her room in quiet. She needed to focus so she could do well on stage; silence and a break from the hectic atmosphere around her would be her only escape to doing that.

Eddie looked up slightly and gave Loren his famous sheepish grin with his brown puppy dog eyes being the highlight that made her heart flutter. He raised his hands, which had been tucked in his pockets when he walked in, and held them out with a Sharpie and a photo of Loren.

Loren was confused, but Eddie explained it all. "An autograph, miss Loren Tate?"

"Eddie, you're dating me," Loren said, laughing. She knew Eddie didn't need her autograph, so she wanted answers.

Eddie jumped in after she pointed out their relationship, so luckily, Loren didn't have to ask. "It's for my dad. For MK."

Max had decorations all over the walls of MK back home. Chloe had given him a mount of he and Katy's record, which still hung bright and center. Eddie had his poster up as well, proving his claim to fame that followed his parents. Now, Max needed Loren's, to fit with the Duran family. This made her feel approved of, unlike Chloe was.

Loren agreed to sign the photo and took it from Eddie. She handed it back to him when she had finished, and smiled. She loved seeing him in her dressing room; he was the relief she needed to get pumped enough to do well at the upcoming show.

"You're gonna shine tonight, miss Tate," Eddie said as he set the photo and Sharpie down on the table by the door.

Eddie took a few steps toward Loren and wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked into her eyes, which showed both anxiousness and excitement. Loren was nervous, and he was well aware of that. She was also happy that he was back though, and she had yet to tell him she felt like everything was normal again.

Loren smiled and looked up at Eddie as he leaned down for a quick peck. She love his simple kisses almost as much as the time they spent making out; all of it was good, especially after feeling like she had lost him.

Loren finally decided how to reply. She knew the best way to make Eddie know she was ready for this, but also that she was only that way because of him. "It's only because you're here, Eddie," Loren told him sincerely. "I lost all my firepower when you were missing."

Eddie couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had to correct her, and as soon as he could get the words to leave his mouth. "Loren, I saw you on stage at MK. You didn't lose any firepower. You owned the night last night, and it was all while you didn't know where I was."

Loren didn't know how to respond, so instead, she reached her head up and gave Eddie another kiss. This time, though, when she wanted to pull away, she felt Eddie's lips curve into a smile as he held her close and gave her another kiss.

Eddie didn't want to let go; not yet. He missed holding Loren too much; he missed her kisses and her perfect brown eyes. He missed hearing her sing and watching her smile. Most of all, though, he missed being able to witness those things for himself, instead of through the TV, radio, phone, or whatever else Lia managed to find for him to do while he was bed ridden.

Finally, Loren managed to pull away from Eddie's kiss, but not without a fight from him. "You don't have to go, you know," he whispered into her ear.

His deep voice sent a chill down Loren's spine; she forgot how easily Eddie made her heart stop. If she didn't have to sing in front of the huge crowd of the festival, she might agree to continue Eddie's perfect kisses, but she knew she had to go. If she didn't play her set, Kelly wouldn't be too happy with her, and neither would her fans.

"I go on in twenty minutes," Loren said as she let out a breath. She tried her best not to let her nerves start affecting her; she loved that Eddie was able to distract her, but as soon as she started heading to the stage, she knew she would have to fight herself to get the strength to walk out there in front of all the people.

"Then promise me one thing," Eddie responded, catching Loren off guard.

"What's that?" Loren asked, genuinely curious. She would give Eddie most anything at this point, as long as she got to keep him with her so he wouldn't disappear again.

"Don't move out of the penthouse when we get back to LA."

Loren stood and stared at Eddie like a deer in headlights. She hadn't given the slightest thought about staying or leaving; everything seemed like a huge blur the past day, and where she would sleep at night was not at the top of her list of worries at the moment.

"What about my mom, Eddie?" Loren answered, remembering how lonely Nora would be if she didn't stay at home.

Nora only saw the upset and the emotional breakdown Loren the past few days. Loren knew her mom would want to see her happy again; if she didn't stay at home, at least while school was still in session, she would miss her mom as well.

"Well, a little birdie tells me Max is moving in with Nora," Eddie informed Loren.

Eddie watched Loren's expression change drastically all of a sudden and realized no one had told her the story. Everyone had been so caught up in Eddie's drama that they hadn't told Loren that Max and Nora had plans to live together in the valley.

Before Loren could answer Eddie, though, there was a knock at her dressing room door. She reluctantly let go of Eddie and walked to the door, assuming Kelly was coming to prep her for the walk onto the stage. The person on the other side, however, surprised Loren.

Unsure why she was knocking at her door, Loren forced a smile and let her in. "Lia, right? Um, what's up?"


	6. AN: Reasons & Future

A/N: Reasons for being MIA & the future of my stories.

Unfortunately, school has gotten the best of me. I thought I could do some chapters over Christmas break, but I wound up working a lot. I planned on writing some more now, but on top of school, one of my good friend's brothers just passed away in a car accident, so life has been pretty stressful.

I currently have two ongoing stories; These Are New Times and Down To Earth. I think I may be ending Down To Earth (it may or may not get an ending chapter), because it really has just become a story that seems to fake and made up to me that I'd rather just continue writing the other story. These Are New Times I will be continuing, but probably not until classes this semester are over.

Additionally, I may be going to spend a week and a half in London for a study abroad program this May. If that is the case, the updates may be pushed until the middle of June. However, I will be updating as soon as summer officially hits for me.

Thanks for keeping watch for my updates!

-Shannon


	7. Note

Hello my fellow HHers!

So here's what my new idea is: I'm beginning a side story to get my creative juices flowing back to me in order to continue at least "These Are New Times". It may not look like I've done anything with the stories, but I just simply haven't liked anything I've written because I can't get back into the swing of writing. I even went to England on a Literature Study Abroad trip with my college in May to try to get my love for writing back!

Right now, I feel inspired to write a story, but just not this one. Not all bad news, though! I am starting a new story in a completely different category, therefore I'll be able to come back to this one once I get a grasp on my writing again and be able to not get bored with the range of topics I'll be writing for both stories.

My new story will follow Sailor Moon, which I know is a HUGE difference in topics. I've always been a tiny bit of a nerd, but not majorly. Recently, with the reprinting of the SM manga and the release of reports about it continuing in 2014-15, I've reread the series and am simply tired of imaging what will fill the plot holes I see in my head. Although there may be another book or season of the anime, the release date is being pushed further and further into the future by the production company, so right now, this is something that is interesting to me. Please check it out under my stories, titled ARC: CHAOTIC MOON.

Thanks, loves!


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